Apparatus for the manufacture of gas.



No. 676,990. Patented June 25, I90I. C. B. MILLER.

APPARATUS FUR THE MANUFACTRE 0F GAS.

(Application filed May 8, 18994 (No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet F/EZ. A 5 VWITNESSES:

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No. 676,990. Patented :une 25, 190|. c. n. MILLER.

APPARATUS F08 THE MANUFACTUBE 0F GAS. (Application filed Mny 8, 1899.)(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

15 Y Y 1J 17- 4 4 l5 WITNESSES: INVENR WWK. wlw

l Km MLM maries COMMODORE R. MILLER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNOR TO TIIE IV. J. MOCLIIRG GAS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF SAMEPLACE.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFCTURE OF GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 676,990, dated June 25,1901. Application filed May 8,1899. Serial No. 716,003. (Ilo model.)

T all whom it may concern:

Beit known that LCOMMODORE R. MILLER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered certainnew and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Gas, ofwhich improvements the following is a speciication.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in themanufacture of gas, and has for its object the retention of the freshfuel in such position that the preliminary distilling action will beeffected by the action of hot gases and Without contact. with or outsideof the zone of` highest heat.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a zo part of this specification,Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved producer, the plane ofsection being indicated by the line I I, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top planview of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on a plane indicatedby the line III III, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a sectional plan View ou aplane indicated by the line IV IV, Fig. 1.

In the practice of my invention the producer is preferably made oblongin horizon- 3o tal contour and is constructed as regards its lowerportion in the usual or any suitable manner. At suitable pointshorizontal partitions or arches 2 and 3 are built across the producer,thereby dividing the latter into three chambers A, B, and C, which forconvenience will be termed combustion, gasifying, and carburetingchambers. One or more inclined beds or chutes 4 are formed in thegasifying-chamber B and extend from 4o one side wall toward or to theopposite wall. One ormore openings are formed through the side walls ofthe producer at or near the upper ends of the inclines or chutes for thepurpose of charging coal into the latter. It is preferred to employclosed hoppers for this purpose. To this end a box 5 is formed outsideof the producer around the opening to the incline or chute, and on thisbox is placed the hopper 6, which is provided with an inlet 5o normallyclosed by a door or cover 7. The lower end of the hopper is closed by avalve 8, having a stem 9, which extends up through the top of the hopperand is operated by a lever 10 or other suitable means.

The inclines or chutes 4 are arranged at or approximately at the angleof rest of the material charged through the hopper or, in other words,at such an angle that Jthe fuel will remain thereon until shifted by thepusher, which consists of a disk or plate 11, secured to the inner endof a rod l2. This rod passes through a ball 13, arranged in acorrespondingly-shaped seat 14, formed in the outer Wall of the box 5.This construction permits of the free operation of the pusher withoutany escape of gas. B y the operation of the pusher the fuel on theinclines or chutes is pushed down through ihe openings 15 in the arches2 into the combustion-chamber A. As it is preferred to extend theinclines or chutes entirely across the chamber, and as the openings 15are located at the lower ends of the inclines, and consequently closelyadjacent to the side walls-of the producer, provision is made for thedistribution of the fuel toward the middle of the combustion-chamber byconstructing inwardly inclined ledges or shelves 16 immediately belowthe openings 15, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

In operating my improved producer fresh coal is charged on the inclinesor chutes 4 and allowed to remain thereon subjected only to thedistilling action of hot gases which pass from thecombustion-chamberAinto the gasifying or distilling chamber l5 throughthe openings 15 and slots 17, formed through arch 2, intermediate of theinclines or chutes 4. The gases pass from the distilling-chamber B intothe carbureting-chamber C through the opening 18 at one end of thechamber, into which a suitable carbureting fluid, as petroleum, isintroduced at 18a. If the gases become sufficiently carbureted duringtheir passage through this chamber, they are allowed to escape throughthe outlet 19; otherwise this outlet is closed and the gases are causedto pass through the opening 20 to and through the auxiliary chamber D,into which petroleum or other carb ureting fluid is introduced throughpipe 20a. After the more Volatile constituents of the coal have beendistilled off the coal is pushed oif the inclines or chutes IOO into thecombustion-chamber A, Where a high incandescent heat is maintained byblasts of air or air and steam forced into the ash-pit through suitablepipes, and fresh fuel is charged onto the inclines or chutes. As is wellknown, bituminous coal when charged onto a bed of incandescent fuel willquickly agglutinate and form a close and nearly impermeable bed, therebyconfining any gases generated below such bed. In order to provide anoutlet for such gases, which would otherwise be consumed, by-passes 2lare provided. These by-passes extend from points below the general levelof the fuel to the distillng-chamber B, as shown in Figs. l and 3. Assoon as the coal has become sufficiently coked to permit a free passageof gases the valves 22 in the by-passes may be closed.

It is characteristic of my improvement that large volumes ofeasily-volatilized and highlycombustible gases are saved by thepreliminary distillation effected by the hot gases. As this preliminarydistillation is effected at a comparatively low temperature and out ofContact with ame or incandescent fuel in the combustion -chamber, all ornearly all the easily-volatilized gases will besaved.

It will be observed that the fuel lying on the inclined beds 4, beingarranged directly above the combustion-chamber A and forming the topthereof, is subjected not only to the hot gases passing over them, butthe beds themselves will be highly heated, thereby accelerating thedistillation of the fuel. This heating of the beds to sufficienttemperature to effect distillation is especially important when itbecomes necessary to employ the bypassesfor the escape of gases from thecombustion-chamber, as heretofore described.

`I claim herein as my invention- 1. A gas-producer having in combinationa combustion-chamber, beds or supports for fresh coal arrangedtransversely of the combustion-chamber in the path of flow of gases fromthe combustion-chamber and openings through the walls of the producer atthe ends of the beds for charging of coal onto the beds, substantiallyas set forth.

2. A gas-producer having in combination, a combustion-chamber, adistilling-chamber connected therewith, coal beds or supports formingthe top of the combustion-chamber and the bottom of thedistilling-chamber, openings through the Walls of the producer at theends of the beds or supports for charging fresh coal onto the beds, andopenings through said beds to permit of the discharge of thepartially-distilled coal or coke thereon into the combustion-chamber andthe flow of gases from the latter into the distilling-chamber,substantially as set forth.

3. A gas-producer having in combination, a combustion-chamber, adistilling-ehamber, inclined beds or supports separating the combustionand distilling chambers and openings through the walls of the producerat the ends of the beds or supports for charging fresh coal thereon,said beds or supports having openings at their lower ends for thepassage of partially-distilled coal or coke directly into thecombustion-chamber, substantially as set forth.

4. A gas-producer having in combination, a combustion-chamber, adistilling-chamber located above the combustion-chamber,oppositely-incliued beds or supports extending across thedistilling-chamber, said beds or supports being separated from leachother to form passages for the flow of products of combustion from thecombustion-chamber into the distilling-chamber, the lower ends of thebeds or supports being adjacent to openings leading into thecombustion-chamber, substantially as set forth.

5. A gas-producer having in combination, a combustion-chamber, adistilling-chamber located above the combustion-chamber, inclined bedsor supports extending across the distilling-chamber and separated fromeach other'to forni passages for the products of combustion and havingtheir lower ends adjacent to openings into the combustion-chamber andhoppers for feeding the fuel onto the beds or supports, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

COMMODORE R. MILLER. Witnesses:

DARWIN S. WoLCoTT, F. E.. GAITHER.

